Prospective Science Teachers’ Subject-Matter Knowledge about Overflow Container

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine prospective science teachers’ subject-matter knowledge (SMK) about overflow container. This study was carried out in the form of a case study in spring term of the academic year of 2013-2014 with seven sophomore prospective science teachers who were studying at Elementary Science Teaching Department in Education Faculty in a university on the north coast of Black Sea Region in Turkey and who passed General Physics course. Interviews consisting of seven questions which were supported with a case text were used to collect data. Data obtained from the study were presented in a matrix. It was found that prospective science teachers have some alternative conceptions about overflow container and their SMK was inadequate. Furthermore, their SMK did not show difference between the upper group’s participants whose GPA scores were higher than 2.50 out of 4.00 and lower group’s participants whose GPA scores were lower than 2.50 out of 4.00. It was suggested that instructors should have been informed about prospective teachers’ alternative conceptions and conceptions they have difficulty in learning, and they should have planned their teaching appropriately.

Keywords: buoyancy force, overflow container, pedagogical content knowledge, prospective science teachers, subject-matter knowledge